Mississippi natural gas storage facility opens

NGS Energy said Friday that it had started operations at its Leaf River Energy Center, a natural gas storage facility northwest of Laurel, Miss.

The Westport, Conn., company said that it is accepting gas in its first cavern, which holds 8 billion cubic feet. NGS said a second cavern will open next year, and holds permits for a total of four domes with 32 billion cubic feet of capacity. NGS, which is owned by Houston hedge fund Centaurus Advisors, said it could eventually expand even beyond that.

The complex, which reportedly cost $500 million, connects with six pipelines. In 2009, Southern Co. said it would rent 3 billion cubic feet in the first dome and 3 billion feet in the second dome, each for 15 years. Southern Co. is the parent of Alabama Power Co. and Mississippi Power Co.